Moving sign



July 5, 1932.

H. M. AUSTINY MOVING SIGN Filed Feb. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZYGI.

H. M. AUSTIN July- 5, 1932.

MOVING SIGN .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb 21, 1929 Patented July 5, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY MESSNER AUSTIN, F CHESTNUT HIIiL,PENSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES 7 BLUM, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIAMOVING SIGN Application filed February 21, 1929. Serial No. 341,592.

It is'the object and effect of my invention to provide means tosuccessively display a series of pictures or advertising matter. The

embodiment of my invention hereinafter described is adapted to beautomatically operated by reciprocatory movement of one element thereof,to alternately shift two series of display devices carried by respectiveendless belts. That embodiment of my invention was designed as anaccessory to a coin-controlled dispensing mechanism such as described inmy copending application Serial No. 311,997 October 12,1928, whichincludes a plunger which reciprocates during the dispensing op erationand to which said reciprocatory element of the present invention may beat tached.

As hereinafter described, the reciprocatory member is a flexible cablewhich is normally retracted by a spring but which may be drawn out bythe movement'of the dispensing mechanism to which it is attached. 'Thatis tosay,

the operation of that embodiment of myinvention is effected bythe'coordinationof its cable spring with a moving element of thedispensing device. However, said cable may be manually or otherwisemoved in opposition to the stress ofsaid spring.

My invention includes the various novel feature of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I isa fragmentary front elevation of acoin-controlled dispensing mechanism with a convenient embodiment of myinvention applied thereto.

Fig. II is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the moving signdevice indicated in Fig. I; taken on the line II, II in that fig ure,but on a larger scale.

Fig. III is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said sign device;taken on the line III, III in Fig. II. p

Fig. IV is a fragmentary plan sectional view, taken on the line IV, IVin Figs. II and III.

Fig. V is a partly sectional elevation,'taken on the line V, Vin Fig.'IV and showing the construction and arrangement of the spring motor forthe cable.

Fig. VI is a partly sectional elevation of dispensing operation.

The moving sign device is mounted in the caslng 5 which is rigidlyconnected with said front wall 3, and includes two similar displayopenings 7 and 8gwhich are covered with respective transparent glasspanels 9.

Said casing 5 contains two endless belts 11 which may be transparentprotographic or other picture films adapted to be illuminated byincandescent lamps 12. Said films 11 are :hung upon respective idlerollers 14 which have radially projecting studs 15 engaging perforations16 at the margins of said belts; whereby said belts are retained inproper relation with said rollers. Said rollers are supported uponrespective shafts 18 journaled in respective pairs of bearings 19 whichare adapted for slight vertical movement and normally upheld by springs20 which keep the belts taut.

Said signbelts'll are arranged to be positively progressed by engagementwith respective rollers 22 and 23 which have studs 24 and 25 adaptedtoengage said perforations 16 in the belts and to positively shift thelatter by the turning movement of said rollers.

Said roller 22 is rigidly connected with the shaft 27 which is journaledin the bearings 28 on said casing 5. Said roller 23 is rigidly connectedwith the tubular shaft 30 which is journaled on said shaft 27. Saidshafts 27 and 30 are connected with actuating mechanism whereby thebelts 11 are intermittently. and alternately progressed downward at thefront thereof, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. II. That is to say, one

of said belts is held stationary to display the advertising picture orother matter thereon, while the other belt is moved, and the respectivelamps 12 may be lighted behind the stationary belt to illuminate it, andextinguished behind the moving belt so that the public is attracted bythe alternate flashlighting of the display panels 9.

Said actuating mechanism includes the spring motor drum 32 which has thegears 33 and 34 rigidly connected therewith by the sleeve 35. Said drumand gears are mounted to turn freely on the shaft 36 which is heldstationary in the bearings 37 and 38, conveniently extending in rigidrelation with said cabinet wall 3, as indicated in Fig. IV. Said drum 32incloses the spiral spring 40 which has its inner end engaged with thestationary stud 41 on said shaft 36 and its outer end engaged with thestud 42 which is fixed in said drum. Said drum carries, upon its outersurface, the flexible connector 45 which is attached thereto .at its end46. Said flexible connector 45, which is preferably a cable formed of aplurality of fine wires, but which may be a unitary strip of metal,chain or cord, is connected at its'lower end to said verticallyreciprocatory element 4 of the dispensing mechanism and, when pulleddownward by the latter, rotates the drum in the direction of the arrowshown in Fig. V, so as to wind the spring 40 around the stationary shaft36. When said element 4 is moved upward by the action ofthe dispensingmechanism, the drum 32, being thus released, is turned in the oppositedirection to the arrow in Fig. V, by the unwinding stress of said spring40. Such construction and arrangement serve, of course, to turn thegears 33 and 34 together, in alternately opposite directions. Said gear33 is in mesh with the idle gear 47 which is journaled on the stud shaft48 which is held stationary in said casing 5, and said gear 47 is inmesh with the gear 50 which is loosely journaled on said shaft 27, asindicated in Fig. IV, between the adjacent end of the casing 5 and theratchet wheel 51 which is pinned or otherwise secured in stationaryposition on said shaft 27. As indicated in Figs. IV and VI; said gear 50has the pawl 52 pivoted upon the stud 53 carried by said gear, and isspring pressed into engagement with said ratchet 51 by the spring 55also carried by said gear. Therefore, the ,efl'ect of the downwardmovement of said cable 45 is to turn said shaft 27 in the direction ofthe arrow on Fig. VI, and, consequently, downwardly progress the belt 11displayed at the opening 7.

The above described turning movement of the gear 33 is, of course,accompanied by a similar turning movement of the gear 34 .which is inmesh with the gear 57 which is loosely journaled on said tubular shaft30 in coaxial relation with said shaft 27 and held between the annularflange 59 on said shaft 30 and the ratchet wheel 60 which is rigidlyconnected with said shaft 30 by the screw key 61, or otherwise. Asindicated in Figs. IV and VII; said gear 57 has the pawl 62 pivoted uponthe stud 63 carried by said gear, and is spring pressed into engagementwith said ratchet 60 by the spring 65 also carried by said gear.Therefore, the eflect of the downward movement of said cable 45 is toturn said gear 57 idly; the pawl 62 being drawn backward over theratchet 60, without turning the latter, and thus leaving the shaft 30stationary; so that the belt 11 displayed in the opening 8 remainsstationary while the other belt is shifted in the opening 7 as abovedescribed.

However, when said element 4 of the d spensing mechanism moves upward,permitting the drum 32 to be turned by its spring 40, in the directionopposite to the arrows in Figs. IV and V, the operation above describedis reversed, i. e., the gear 50 carries the pawl 52 idly backward,leaving the shaft 30 and the belt 11 in the display opening 7stationary, while the gear 57 is then turned in the direction oppositeto the arrow in Fig. VII and, by the pawl 62, turns the shaft 30 toshlft the belt in the display opening 7. Thus, said belts 11 arealternately held stationary and shifted during the reciprocatorymovement of the element 4 of the dispensing mechanism.

As above contemplated; the alternate operation of the belts 11 may beaccompanied by alternate lighting of the lamps 12; so that each timeeach of said belts is held stationary, while the other is moved, thestationary belt is illuminated while the moving belt is not, thusaffording a flash-lighting effect i which is more attractive of publicattention than a constant illumination of the sign device would be. Suchlighting eifect may be attained by any suitable device adapted to beactuated by said reciprocatory element 4. or otherwise. For instance, asindicated in Fig. II, said lamps 12 may be provided with respectiveterminals 66 and 67 adapted to be alternately included in the circuitwith the conductor 68 by means of the switch lever- 70 which isfulcrumed at 72in said cabinet 1.

Said lever 70 may be shifted from the terminal 66 to the terminal 67 byupward movement of said member 4 at the upper limit of the stroke of thelatter. Said switch lever 7 0 may be shifted from the terminal 67 to theterminal 66 by downward movement of said member 4, at the lower portionof its stroke, in contact with the lever 74 which is fulcrumed at 75 insaid cabinet 1 and connected with the lever 7 O by the link 76.

However, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details ofconstruction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from theessential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

M 1. In a moving sign, the combination with two endless belts, carryingthe things to be displayed; of means adapted to intermittently shiftsaid belts, including two independently rotatable rollers engaging saidbelts; a rotary drum; ratchet means adapted to alternately hold each ofsaid rollers sta-- tionary, while the other is shifted by turningmovement of said drum; a spring motor mechanism connecting said rollersand drum;

and a cable carried by said drum; whereby said spring may be stressed toturn said rollers by traction on said cable.

2. In a moving sign, the combination with two endless belts, carryingthe things to be displayed; of means adapted to intermittently shiftsaid belts, including two independently rotatable rollers engaging saidbelts; a rotary drum; ratchet means adapted to alternately hold each ofsaid rollers sta- 5 tionary, while the other is shifted by turningmovement of said drum; said ratchet means including a single rotorhaving two circular series of ratchet teeth and pawls respectivelyengaging said teeth; a spring motor mechanism connecting said rollersand drum; and a cable carried by said drum; whereby said spring may bestressed to turn said rollers by traction on said cable.

3. The combination with a coin-controlled 85 dispensing mechanism; of amoving sign device, including two endless belts having respective seriesof sign devices; means adapted to alternately shift said belts toalternately successively display said respective series of sign devices;and means connecting said coincontrolled dispensing mechanism and saidbelt shifting mechanism; whereby said sign devices are adapted to bealternately moved by successive movements of said dispensing mechanism.

4. In a moving sign, the combination with an endless belt carrying thething to be displayed; of means adapted to intermittently shift saidbelt, including a drum and a cable adapted to turn said drum; meansadapted to illuminate said belt when stationary; and means adapted tosuppress the illumination when said belt is being moved.

5. In a moving sign, the combination with two endless belts, carryingthings to be dis played; of means adapted to intermittently andalternately shift said belts; and means adapted to alternatelyilluminate said belts; and means adapted to control the illumination ofsaid belts, in connection with the means for moving them. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this 8th day of February, 1929.

HARRY MESSNER AUSTIN.

